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Probe looks into care home closure 'failings'



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Published Date: 27 March 2008
By HAZEL MOLLISON
AN investigation has been launched into a council's handling of the closure of one of the biggest care homes in the Lothians.
Residents at Cockenzie House Nursing Home and their families suffered months of uncertainty after the owner announced it would have to shut.

The last 11 residents are now waiting to move to the newly refurbished Greenfield Park home in Musselburgh
.

Now East Lothian councillors have agreed to hold a review and "public debate" into how the closure was handled.

The owner, James McDonald, said he had no choice after the Care Commission inspectors imposed a ban on new admissions to the home last year. They said it had consistently failed to meet standards of hygiene and infection control.

Relatives had hoped East Lothian Council would reach an agreement with Mr McDonald to buy or rent the home, but talks failed. The council has now moved most of the 37 residents to new accommodation.

Councillor Willie Innes, who represents Prestonpans, called for the investigation. He said councillors needed to know if mistakes had been made and whether lessons could be learned.

He said: "We had been pressing for an examination surrounding the closure of Cockenzie House. We believe it wasn't handled properly. It has always had support from the local doctors, the church and the community council, and very strong support from the residents and relatives.

"I believe the council could have resolved this with Mr McDonald. We're not looking for a witch hunt, but people have to learn from what has been a very regretful situation. It's caused a huge amount of uncertainty for residents and their families."

The Rev Bob Glover, chaplain at Cockenzie House, said: "The council know they have made a mistake. There is a lot of anger in the community. Residents are being taken away from the people they know. Families will find it hard to find the same level of care elsewhere."

Social care staff are working with residents to ease their transfers to new homes. The Care Commission has given approval for them to move into the newly refurbished Musselburgh home from March 31.

Alan Blackie, chief executive of East Lothian Council, said: "We understand that there has to be a discussion and debate about Cockenzie House in public.

"There will be an internal review into the whole issue. For now, our main priority is supporting the remaining residents and their families as they move into their new accommodation."





The full article contains 414 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 27 March 2008 11:00 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: East Lothian
 
1

Mr Crisps,

Musselburgh 27/03/2008 12:18:27
Why do people ignore the facts? It was the Care Commission who said the home didn't meet standards. Do people want their relatives left in unfit conditions? No win situation for the Council I think, easy target for the knee-jerk reactionists with vested interests in this matter.
2

Ian down under,

Kawerau 27/03/2008 23:25:58
The Care Commission changed their story with the weather. When I spoke to their manager, Laurie Davidson at the end of January and said I needed to know what risk my father was in she told me about the 2 main issues which were both paperwork issues and the main one had actually been addressed with regard to medication administration. Incidentally the system used at Cockenzie was internationally recognised. Her other concern was a lack of a 'policy' for pressure areas [bed sores]. Cockenzie residents did not get sores, unless admitted with them from other places, and all they needed to do was write down what they were already doing as this was already best practice.
When we later met with her she agreed that if these issues were dealt with, and they were, the restrictions could be lifted and from the second week in February they could start re-admitting people at a rate of 2 per week. History now tells us that they moved the goalposts and as a result a well loved and trusted home has gone.
The Care Commission are not experts, they are bureaucrats. Mr Crisps could well do to ask some relatives about the care and he will find lots of stories of people who went to Cockenzie in terrible states and through good care made excellent progress.
My Dad went there in 2005 after having a major stroke. When admitted from an NHS hospital he could not stand, could not feed himself and was losing weight. He also could hardly speak. Within 3 months at Cockenzie he was feeding himself, putting on healthy weight and was walking unaided. He can hold conversations although he remains confused. I don't think this paints a picture of poor quality care but it shows the exact opposite.
The facts are that ELC wanted Cockenzie closed and the Care Commission are so tied to their bureaucracy that they went along with it and added to the misery. Both of those bodies failed completely to protect the residents.
It also should be remembered that this all started from a disgruntled and disg
3

lucky girl,

Cockenzie 29/03/2008 00:32:30
Mr Crisp we the people do not ignore the facts. The people in so called high places ignore the facts. Some of the residents that have been moved are not getting the same loving care as given by Cockenzie Nursing Home. We have to remember that everbody has feelings even if their mind is not as good as you and I, not a piece of meat to move when some person takes the rue,as residents were being moved you should have been present to see the heartbreak in the cares. What we the famlies and friends of Cockenzie Nursing Home want to know is what happened to cause all this upset. The East Lothian Council or The Scottish Parliament did not visit or try to solve the situtation. I am not a knee-jerk reactionist I am a voter and tax payer of East Lothian and I want fair conditions for all. I whole heartedly agree with Ian down under.
4

A. Puschkin,

30/03/2008 19:13:13
Cockenzie Nursing Home and Boarding schools

My experiences as a very young child moving from school to school – often boarding schools - must be similar to what is being experienced by the elderly patients at Cockenzie Nursing Home and those residents who have already been moved.

When I was seven my parents lived in the Far East – in Singapore, Penang, Ipoh and Bangkok. They moved from area to area depending on where my father was needed. This meant many new schools. At that age I had no say in what was happening – but I remember the feelings I had.

Moving to a new school especially a boarding school is very frightening when you are very young. The staff and teachers are not always sympathetic – some are insensitive.

Moving elderly people who have mobility, sight and hearing problems and who also do not always understand what is happening and who have absolutely no say in the decisions - must be very frightening.

They lost control over their lives because of illness which is bad enough. Now their future peace of mind lies in the hands of people sitting behind desks often in local Councils who have no interest or idea of the trauma their decisions are causing.

We know that moving children is frightening but the elderly are a much more vulnerable group of people. They cannot adapt to new staff who do not know how to help them – who don’t know their particular problems – and who have little or nominal training in how to help the elderly. If you cannot see properly or hear – imagine for a moment being helped with all your personal care – by strangers. For some people the stress is so severe that it can cause their death.

If a building is falling down then the people must be evacuated. If however there are problems that can be sorted then there is no justification for moving the residents away from what is their home and from the people that have become trusted friends. The relatives, and GPs were happy with the Home.

It is cruel and un-nec
5

A. Puschkin,

Edinburgh 31/03/2008 17:46:40

".....whether lessons could be learned..." These few detached words are trotted out every time a government organisation fails to act properly. Simple words but empty and so often repeated - meaning absolutely nothing.

" We apologise for the fact that your grandmother was lying in a corridor on a trolley for two days.. and will look into this and see if LESSONS CAN BE LEARNED!!!!"

Isn't it time that the people who are employed in these organisations actually DO NOT need lessons in how to "care for people"!

When they fail in their duty they should be sacked.





 

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